Institute News

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Oh, Atlanta

Undaunted by a snowstorm that buried the eastern seaboard, some 200 participants – members of Congress, industry leaders, foundation heads, philanthropists, scientists and university presidents – convened in January at the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in Atlanta, for an event hosted by the Institute and the CDC Foundation. Building on the Institute's Celebration of Science initiative launched in 2012, the goal of Atlanta Summit on Public Health was to reaffirm America's commitment to public health. To view the panel sessions in their entirety, go to milkeninstitute.org/atlantasummit. And take our word for it: it's so much nicer to watch in the comfort of your own tablet than to risk getting stuck at Hartsfield airport.

Check Up

Prepared for the Atlanta summit (and now available on the Institute Web site), our research report, "Checkup Time," estimates the economic burden for America associated with five leading chronic diseases. The report updates our groundbreaking 2007 analysis, "An Unhealthy America," which has served as a source of information for journalists and policymakers on the subject. Checkup Time finds that the bill for chronic diseases is rising, driven by ever-higher obesity rates. The good news: heart disease prevalence and treatment costs per patient are lower than the gloomy predictions in 2007. And did you notice? A new federal government survey suggests that childhood obesity rates are finally falling.

Bummer

Days before this year's Academy Awards, the Institute's California Center issued a report (available on the Institute's Web site) suggesting that all is not well in Tinseltown. The report, "A Hollywood Exit: What California Must Do to Remain Competitive in Entertainment – and Keep Jobs," surveys the decline, starting with the introduction of Canadian film incentives in 1997. Today, 43 states offer subsidies for film and television production. And it suggests ways California could fight back without joining a race to the bottom. Stay tuned for a progress report down the road. Like Hollywood, the Institute loves a sequel.